


but you're right here now (and I think you'll stay)

by chocolatecrack



Category: Johnny's Entertainment, SixTONES (Band)
Genre: AGH WHY ARE THESE TWO SO CUTE, Alternate Universe - Kindergarten & Pre-school, BCOS IT IS OK, But now it's here, Childhood Friends, Eventual Happy Ending, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, HOW DID I NOT WRITE KYOMOHOKU IN ANGST WOW THIS IS NEW, I GOT TOOTHACHES WRITING THOSE FIRST TWO PARTS, I TOLD Y'ALL I WOULD WRITE, IT ISSSSS, IT WOULD BE THE CUTEST THING HELP, JUST IMAGINE KINDERGARTEN HOKUTO PROPOSING TO KINDERGARTEN TAIGA OK, Kid Fic, Light Angst, M/M, Romance, THIS WAS BORN FROM A MEME, Time Skips, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, also self indulgent bcos i sneaked in memenabe oops lol, and other johnnys, kindergarten proposals, lol, look ok, mentions of 6T
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-23
Updated: 2020-08-23
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:28:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,173
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26065768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chocolatecrack/pseuds/chocolatecrack
Summary: Hokuto’s little five year old heart swelled in his chest, extremely happy to know that he was Taiga’s favorite, too. “Okay!” he nodded, then went on to sit next to Taiga, the kid next to Taiga nowhere to be seen. Probably in one corner playing. It didn’t matter.All that mattered was Taiga smiling at him as he took a happy bite of the cherry tomato Hokuto gave him, and Hokuto smiling back when he pocketed the special chocolates.Hokuto thought it was the best day he had ever had.
Relationships: Kyomoto Taiga/Matsumura Hokuto
Comments: 13
Kudos: 25





	but you're right here now (and I think you'll stay)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [blankcamellia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/blankcamellia/gifts), [ryutaroll](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ryutaroll/gifts).



> inspired by the most adorable rebecca proposal meme, so i now present to you KYOMOHOKU IN TOOTH-ROTTING FLUFF AGH
> 
> srsly. just. toothaches, really.
> 
> but of course there's a little hurt and a little pain and little angst bcos well. they ARE kyomohoku, after all. of course. HAHAHAHA
> 
> a little fic i wanted to put out to get my groove back. sneaked this in while I was writing The Runaway Fic (bcos that one is gonna be a LONG one, agh), and now here you are!!!!! couldn't resist not writing it lol
> 
> FOR THE TWO PPL WHO ALWAYS DEAL WITH MY YELLING IN DMS, RHEA AND JENNY. you guys are amazing. ilu both. huhuhu
> 
> un-beta'd im sorryyyyyy huhu i tried to check it as much as possible tho!! but this one was written in like one sitting so idk agh aklsjdsjkhfjksjkl  
> Title is from Finally // beautiful stranger by Halsey! also what they dance to in the end. you'll see!! hehehe
> 
> tobikko_2007 @ Twitter || chocolatecrack @ LJ || scenesinmoonstruck @ Tumblr if you guys want to talk!
> 
> Also: to those who want to send questions but wanna stay anon, I have a CC!! here you go!! --> https://curiouscat.qa/tobikko_2007  
> And idk omg buy me a coffee maybe? I WOULD APPRECIATE IT SO MUCH AND I WOULD LOVE U SO MUCH AND THANK U huhu ❤ --> https://ko-fi.com/GrenadineDream

Snack time was always something Hokuto looked forward to.

His Kaa-chan always managed to surprise him with cute bentos, complete with all the little details like a panda bear onigiri and octopus sausages and fun little toothpicks that decorated the numerous amounts of cherry tomatoes he was always given. Whenever he would see the tomatoes, he would light up even further, immediately running to his favorite classmate to show him.

Kyomoto Taiga was Hokuto’s favorite classmate. He was small, smaller than he was, had pretty pink cheeks and pale skin and a cute haircut. Taiga always had bentos, too. Bentos that were grander than Hokuto could ever imagine. They were full of what looked like the most expensive looking meat and veggies, and Taiga would always have a smile on his face when he would eat them.

“Tai-chan, Tai-chan!” Hokuto called out, running towards Taiga with his lunchbox. “Look, Kaa-chan gave me lots of tomatoes today too!” he said in a rather excited tone, Taiga’s little face and big doe eyes lighting up at the mention of his favorite food.

“Ah,” Taiga said, almost drooling at all the little cherry tomatoes in Hokuto’s bento, pretty toothpicks on top of them. “There are so many!”

Hokuto swore he could see actual stars in Taiga’s eyes, making them glow and shimmer. Taiga’s eyes were really pretty. Then Taiga smiled at Hokuto wide, his cheeks puffing up and getting even more pink. Taiga’s smile was really pretty, too.

“I’m going to share them with you!” Hokuto said, already picking up the cherry tomatoes and placing every single one of them inside Taiga’s lunchbox, Taiga surprised but also shy at the gesture.

“Hokkun, is that okay?” Taiga said, a bit worried. “Won’t you be hungry? Leave some for yourself, too.”

Hokuto shook his head, smiling wide back. “No worries!” he said happily, not regretting sharing his food at all, “I have lots of sausages anyway. And Mom gave me carrots and bell peppers. She said I should eat them more. So I’m fine. You should have the tomatoes! I know they’re your favorite.”

Taiga’s small kindergarten heart did a little hiccup when he heard Hokuto, happy that Hokuto always remembered that tomatoes were his most favorite.

“Thank you, Hokkun,” he said in a small, shy voice, pretty little blush coloring his cheeks. Hokuto’s heart always did somersaults whenever Taiga would blush. He wasn’t sure what it meant. He was only five, after all. But he somehow liked the feeling.

“Here!” Taiga said, thinking of giving something back, because Hokuto was his nicest classmate and definitely the one who paid attention to him the most. He wanted to make Hokuto happy, too. “Neenee gave me extra sweets today! Would you like some?”

Hokuto’s ears tingled at the sound of sweets being offered. Taiga always had expensive sweets with him, too. They came from all over the world, given to him by his parents as souvenirs for whenever they would travel. This time he had Belgian sweets with him, and Hokuto almost drooled at the sight of what looked like a heavenly piece of chocolate.

“Would you like the gummies or the chocolates?” Taiga offered, excited about his snacks.

But Hokuto had turned a bit shy, as well. This was given to Taiga by his parents, after all. He didn’t want to take that away from him. “It’s okay, Tai-chan! You should eat your snacks so you can have a fuller tummy!” because as long as Taiga was happy, Hokuto was happy too.

Taiga pouted. He wanted to share his snacks with Hokuto. And he didn’t want to take ‘no’ as an answer. “Hokkun, it’s fine. I want to give you my sweets. Because you gave me your tomatoes. So we can share with each other,” he said, pouting further. “Do you not want my snacks? Neenee said they tasted nice.”

Little Hokuto widened his eyes, not wanting to see his favorite classmate sad. “No, no, of course I want them! Don’t be sad! Your smile is pretty!” he said out loud, on the verge of tears.

Taiga smiled again, though, and Hokuto sighed in relief. He only ever wanted to see Taiga smile and be happy. He wouldn’t be able to take it if Taiga was sad.

“Then, gummies or chocolates? They’re both really good!”

Hokuto pursed his lips together, thinking about the decision long and hard. “I would like the chocolate, please!” he said, excited.

Taiga let out a little giggle before he reached for Hokuto’s hand with his, his tiny fingers spreading out Hokuto’s so he could place three pieces of Belgian chocolate in the boy’s palm. Hokuto’s smile widened at the sight of the chocolate, but even more because he got to touch his favorite classmate’s hand. It was such a nice feeling, being able to hold hands with Taiga.

“I will give you three,” Taiga said, holding up three fingers to indicate the number, “because it means ‘you’re my favorite’. Do you want to eat our bentos together? I’ll eat the tomatoes you gave me!”

Hokuto’s little five year old heart swelled in his chest, extremely happy to know that he was Taiga’s favorite, too. “Okay!” he nodded, then went on to sit next to Taiga, the kid next to Taiga nowhere to be seen. Probably in one corner playing. It didn’t matter.

All that mattered was Taiga smiling at him as he took a happy bite of the cherry tomato Hokuto gave him, and Hokuto smiling back when he pocketed the special chocolates.

Hokuto thought it was the best day he had ever had.

* * *

This was it. Today was the day. Today was the most important of all the days that Hokuto had ever had. The most important day in his five years of living. The most important day to have ever existed for him.

He was ready. He had everything planned. He was going to do it today.

It was after snack time, and the whole class was on break at the playground. At this time, Taiga was usually at the sandbox, creating elaborate looking sandcastles that Hokuto still couldn’t figure out how he managed to do.

Taiga was great at being artistic. Sometimes, he would give Hokuto adorable little doodles of random stuff, and Hokuto would always enjoy getting them. He kept them in a special drawer in his room, making sure every single one was safe and clean. He liked to call them his prized possessions.

With a determined expression, Hokuto marched over to the sandbox, one hand in his pocket, the other in a closed fist to keep himself calm. His little heart was beating so fast, but he knew it was just because he ran all the way to the playground after he had gotten what he wanted to get from his bag. He bought it yesterday at a convenience store, asking his Kaa-chan to pay for it because he couldn’t reach the counter. He told her that he would pay her back soon for it, but his Kaa-chan only shook her head and said no. That it was fine. That Hokuto could have it because he seemed to really want it.

He only wanted it so bad because he was going to give it to someone special. He was going to give it to his favorite.

Hokuto finally reached the sandbox, thankful that no other kid was playing there except for Taiga. Taiga had created the base for his sandcastle already, looking amazing from where Hokuto was standing, and he was deep in concentration when Hokuto suddenly cleared his throat and croaked.

“Uhm,” he said, high pitched voice shaking, “Tai-chan, I want to talk to you.”

Hokuto knew he was only five. Taiga was only five, as well. But he was sure of what he wanted to do. He saw it play on television once, some drama that his Kaa-chan was watching. It looked like it was something you did to your favorite person. So Hokuto wanted to do it to Taiga.

Taiga looked up from his sitting position at the sandbox, face lighting up when he saw who called out to him. “Hokkun!” he said, standing up immediately, brushing all the excess sand off of him. “I was looking for you!”

Hokuto’s heart felt like it was doing hopscotch inside of his chest. What an odd feeling. He wondered what it had meant.

“I, uhm, I was looking for you too,” he said nervously, hand gripping what he wanted to give to Taiga inside his pocket. It was now or never. He had to do this.

“I saw this on television the other day. Kaa-chan was watching something, and I saw it happening. I think you do it with your favorite people. And you’re my favorite, so…” Hokuto took out what was in his pocket and held it out.

Taiga looked down at Hokuto’s hand, seeing candy wrapped up in shiny plastic, curious as to what Hokuto was referring to. Did he mean that people gave their favorites candies? Because if so, then that was true. Since he already gave chocolates to Hokuto before, after all.

“Candy?” Taiga said, blinking, his long and pretty eyelashes making his eyes look prettier. Hokuto really liked it when Taiga looked at him like that.

Then he realized that, in his hurry to do what he wanted to do, he hadn’t even taken the outer packaging off. “Oh, wait!” he said, immediately ripping open the plastic surrounding the candy and taking the candy out.

It was a pretty ring pop, with black and pink as its colors, the packaging saying it was flavored strawberry cola. Hokuto was tempted to eat it on his own, but he knew he wanted to give this one to Taiga. He was determined to give it.

“Here,” he said, presenting it to Taiga. Taiga stepped closer to him, still wondering what was happening. “This is for you.”

“For me?” Taiga said. The candy did look tasty, and it had really pretty colors on top. He never imagined that he would like colors black and pink together, but somehow it worked. Like it was always meant to be together. “A candy ring?”

“Uhm,” Hokuto struggled with the words he wanted to say. But he heard in the drama too, when the man was giving the ring away. He heard the words that came with the ring. He guessed that he had to say them too. “Marry me, Tai-chan.”

There. He had said it. He had said the words out loud. Now all that he needed was Taiga’s answer.

Taiga blinked at him, a cute expression of wonder on his face. Then he took the ring pop Hokuto gave and slipped it on his finger, smiling at it. He looked up to smile at Hokuto, opening his mouth to speak, when a thought suddenly entered his mind, remembering what his Neenee had told him before. His smile turned into a pout then a frown, before he sighed.

“No,”

A screech from one of the kids broke through the air, and Hokuto felt like his whole world was turned upside down.

“But…” he said, “why???”

How can Taiga say no? Wasn’t he Taiga’s favorite person too? Didn’t they always share each other’s snacks? Play together in the playground? Laugh at each other’s stories? What did Hokuto do wrong?

“I can’t, Hokkun,” Taiga said. He still kept the ring pop on his finger, though, so Hokuto was confused. Why was Taiga saying no?

“But… but I love you, Tai-chan,”

Love.

What was love like?

Hokuto was only five. He wouldn’t have known what love was like.

Did love feel like the way Taiga smiled at him every time they would sit together while eating their bento during breaks? Did love feel like the way Taiga would hold his hand when they walked towards the playground together, swaying their arms as he hummed a tune? Did love feel like the way Taiga would give him drawings that he said was for Hokuto and Hokuto only, and that he wouldn’t give anyone else things like that? Did love feel like the way Taiga told him that he was his most favorite person in the world, and he would tell Hokuto that forever?

Did love feel like the way Taiga blushed when Hokuto would hug him tight, right before they went home?

What did love feel like? And why did Hokuto feel it for Taiga?

“I love you too, Hokkun,” Taiga said in a shy voice, surprising Hokuto.

Did Taiga know what love felt like too?

They were both only five. Was love felt by people as young as they were?

“Then marry me, Tai-chan,” Hokuto took Taiga’s little hand in his, holding onto it tight. Taiga didn’t pull away. In fact, he had held onto Hokuto tight too, squeezing Hokuto’s hand in a warm and comforting grip.

“No,” Taiga said again, despite what he had done. Hokuto was so confused. He couldn’t understand what was going on. What did Taiga mean? Why did he keep saying no?

“Tai-chan, I don’t understand,” Hokuto really couldn’t no matter how hard he thought about it.

Taiga lifted the hand with the ring pop on it, the one not holding onto Hokuto, and licked at the candy while smiling, enjoying the taste. Hokuto really did know how to pick good flavored candy.

“I can’t yet,” he said, sighing. He wanted to marry Hokuto, too. But he still remembered what his Neenee said. “Neenee told me that I can’t get married yet. She said it was what grown ups did. That I had to grow up first before I could do it.”

Oh. Oh no. That wasn’t good. In his hurry to ask Taiga to get married, Hokuto had forgotten to ask permission from Taiga’s Neenee. He should’ve asked for permission, first, because it was the right thing to do.

“Oh no,” he said, knowing that they couldn’t do anything about it now, because what their Moms said should always be followed. They knew best, after all. “Oh no, we can’t.”

“Yea,” Taiga looked sad, disappointed that they couldn’t just get married already. He wanted to get married to Hokuto and live happily. But they couldn’t do it, yet. They had to grow up first. “Thank you for the candy, though. It looks really pretty.”

Taiga was about to take it off his finger when Hokuto stopped him.

“No, keep it! It’s fine! I can get you another one when we get married for real,” he perked up, thinking of how he was going to ask Taiga in the future, when Taiga would be allowed to get married by his Neenee. “Do you want one in the same flavour?”

Taiga nodded as he smiled wide, happy that Hokuto was still going to ask him in the future. He really did want to get married, after all. “Yup! It tastes great, I really like it!”

They giggled together, hands holding each other tighter. Hokuto tucked some stray hair away from Taiga’s face, blown by the breeze, and smiled at Taiga, happy that the boy was enjoying the candy he gave.

“We can try again next time! I promise I’ll ask your Neenee, so I can have her permission!” he chimed in, already imagining how much easier it would be when they were both grown ups, since he had already tried one time.

“Of course! And I’ll say yes next time, too! I promise!” Taiga said, taking another happy lick at his candy.

“Okay!” Hokuto really couldn’t wait for the day that Taiga would say yes. But as of right now, he was happy with just playing with Taiga in the playground. They could think about marriages later.

“Do you wanna help me build the sandcastle? I’m going to make a really tall tower! The bright haired prince will be trapped in it and a strong brave black haired knight is going to save him,”

“Ohhhh! Sounds fun!”

Playing in the sandbox was something they could do, now. Marriages could wait until they were older. The next time, Hokuto was going to make sure to ask permission from Taiga’s Neenee, first. He would also need to ask permission from his own Kaa-chan. But it didn’t matter today. What mattered was him and Taiga and the big sandcastle they were going to build.

Marriages could wait until they grew up. It would still happen.

They loved each other, after all. They could do a little waiting.

* * *

The sound of harmonious laughter filled the air, words slurred here and there shared throughout the conversation, a side effect of the alcohol. Hokuto and Taiga tried to straighten themselves while walking, obviously having a rather difficult time with their tipsy state.

They were on their way home that night, preferring to walk from the station all the way to Taiga’s house, in hopes of getting sober throughout the journey. It was a good 15-minute walk home, and while Taiga had sobered up in the train, he still felt his head lightly spin, possibly crashing to the ground had Hokuto not held him up.

“Goddammit, Kyomoto, keep yourself up, will you?” Hokuto said while laughing, obviously very tipsy as well, the both of them being lightweights.

“Hey, you can let me go,” Taiga chimed in, laughter wrapped around his words.

“Yea, and let you fall on the cold hard ground? I don’t think so,” Hokuto replied, letting out a deep chuckle, making Taiga’s heart skip a beat. “You know what, we need to sit down.”

Hokuto spotted a nearby bench and walked the both of them towards it, carefully placing Taiga first before sitting down himself. Taiga laughed some more and leaned on his shoulder, Hokuto shaking his head in disbelief before leaning on Taiga’s head as well.

“We should  _ not _ have allowed Shintaro to give us those shots,” Taiga said, remembering the very reason why they were tipsy in the first place. He was thankful they had taken them early, and sobered up before deciding to go home.

“Jesse was the one who bought them. You should blame him,” Hokuto remembered the heat of the alcohol going down his throat, thankful that it was already over. The fresh air they were breathing now was definitely a big help.

“Or we should blame ourselves, since we let them fool us into drinking,”

“Ah, yes, well,” Hokuto said, “we  _ are _ to blame for this, aren’t we?”

They both laughed again, Taiga tickling Hokuto’s cheek with his bright blond hair. Taiga took Hokuto’s hand in his own, a habit he had gained over the years to calm himself down, Hokuto’s touch always feeling like such a comfort. Hokuto held Taiga’s hand back, just as tight, trying to even his breathing and calm his own heart.

He had remembered a distant memory of them holding hands. Of an adorable candy ring around Taiga’s tiny ring finger, and a promise they had made when they were but little kids in kindergarten. Taiga had brighter hair now, almost like the prince that they had made up when they were small, locked in a tower and waiting to be saved by the brave knight with black hair. Hokuto wondered if they had done that on purpose.

They were eighteen, now. They weren’t five anymore. And Hokuto couldn’t help but wonder.

“Hey, Kyomoto,” he said, voice definitely sounding different than it did when he was in kindergarten. It was lower now, a sign of him getting older, no more nicknames for Taiga like he had done so before.

“Hmm?” Taiga responded, breathing slow.

“Do you…” Hokuto started, “do you remember that one day in kindergarten? When we played in the sandbox?”

Taiga let out a little laugh, sounding similar to what he did when they were so much younger. “We played a lot of times in the sandbox, Hokuto. I’m sure I can’t remember all of those days.”

Hokuto smiled, remembering all their different adventures in the playground. But he was talking about a certain specific day, of course. One that he would never forget, no matter how many years would pass.

“It was one time, when you were building a big sandcastle. With the prince and the knight?” Hokuto said, hoping Taiga had caught on. He felt Taiga nod, so he guessed the older did.

“Ah yea, when you helped me make that really tall tower? We did great on that, didn’t we?”

“We did,”

“It was nice,”

“It was,”

Hokuto loved that memory. He would treasure it forever. But that wasn’t it.

“That’s not what I was saying, though,”

“Oh?” Taiga said, shifting a little, “what were you saying then?”

Suddenly, Hokuto laced their fingers together, remembering Taiga’s small hands intertwined with his own. Taiga’s hands were not so small anymore, but were still smaller than his. And somehow, they still seemed to fit perfectly together. Like it was always meant to be this way.

“Remember how…” Hokuto took a deep breath, “how I asked you to marry me that day?”

Hokuto felt Taiga tense, then, and he was afraid he had touched on a rather sensitive subject. But Taiga responded, still, despite in a stern voice.

“Right. Yea,”

“What would you answer now if I asked you?”

Taiga flinched at the words, pulling his hand away from Hokuto and sitting up straighter, trying to hide his eyes behind his bangs. Hokuto sat up straight too, a panicked look on his features.

“Are you still drunk, Matsumura?” Taiga tried to pass off the words as a joke, but it sounded weaker than he intended.

“What? No, I’m not, I’m—”

“Stop joking around,” Taiga shook off his sudden beating heart, his nerves dancing under his skin, his feelings going haywire and sending warning signals to his brain. This was bad. This was the worst, actually.

“I’m not joking around,” Hokuto said, a little offended. He was being incredibly serious, and yet Taiga was pushing him away. “We’re older now. We know better. We can still keep the promise. I still lo—”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Taiga turned to him with a glare, as piercing as the sharpest of daggers, fury in them that was foreign. But Hokuto saw something else there, too. He saw hurt and pain. And even more. He saw fear.

Taiga was scared. Scared of what was happening, scared of what Hokuto was asking, scared of what Hokuto made him feel, scared of what this could mean. He was terrified.

“Kyomoto, what are you so scared of?”

“I’m not scared,” Taiga said, an ice cold tone to his voice, void of any kind of warmth that he usually gave to Hokuto. “And you’re talking nonsense.”

Gone was their innocence. It had gone away the moment Taiga made Hokuto understand what the butterflies in his stomach meant. When he finally figured out what Taiga made him feel, it was like Hokuto had finally seen things in a new light, seeing more than he did when he was but a child.

He loved Taiga then. He still loved Taiga now.

But Taiga was pushing him away. And he didn’t know what the fuck to do about it.

“You promised,” it had been a desperate act. A last plea, of some kind, sounding incredibly pathetic even to Hokuto as he heard himself say it. But it was the only thing he could hold onto. Maybe Taiga could still remember the promise. Maybe Taiga could still remember the feeling.

“That was a child’s dream,” Taiga replied, voice firm and unwavering, “built on nothing but naïve promises. Did you really think we were going to get married when we got older? That things would be that easy? That they were going to be okay?” 

It should be easy. It should be. Hokuto’s feelings hadn’t changed. But.

But maybe Taiga’s feelings did.

“Wake up from your little fantasy,” Taiga said, the words laced with acid, determined to break both of their hearts. “The world doesn’t work that way, Matsumura. The sooner you know that, the better. For both of us.”

Then Taiga stood up, taking a deep breath.

He still looked so ethereal under the moonlight, despite having just broken Hokuto’s heart in a million tiny little pieces.

Taiga shook his head.

“I’m heading home,” he turned around, not looking at Hokuto in the eye. “I’ll… call you later. And see you tomorrow. Take care going home.”

Hokuto was frozen. What else was he left to do? His whole world was in shambles.

“I’m sorry,” was all Hokuto could say. It was the only thing left to be said, after all.

Taiga was visibly shaking. Hokuto would have guessed he was crying, but he didn’t want to assume. Why would he when he had no problems breaking Hokuto’s heart?

“I…” Taiga choked on his words, having a hard time saying as his tears threatened to fall. “I’m sorry, too.”

Then he ran, leaving Hokuto behind to pick up the pieces.

Love.

What was love like?

Hokuto was only eighteen. Did he already know what love felt like?

Did love feel like the way Taiga would laugh at all of his jokes, even though they weren’t funny for anyone else? Did love feel like the way Taiga would sing songs while he played guitar, letting Hokuto hear them through hours of endless phone calls? Did love feel like the way Taiga would pass him little notes in class with funny doodles and comics in them, looking at his direction for his reaction? Did love feel like the way Taiga smiled a small shy smile whenever Hokuto would give him a compliment or praise?

Did love feel like the way Taiga clawed his heart out from his chest and stomped on it with his vicious words and unforgiving tone?

What did love feel like? And why was it so close to how heartbreak felt?

* * *

“God, I can’t believe Shoppi’s married,”

“And to Meguro, too. Should’ve seen that coming,”

“I did see that, actually,”

Some cheesy love song was playing loudly on the speakers as the married couple danced in the middle of the dance floor, staring at each other lovingly. While it warmed Taiga’s heart that his friend was happy, he still grimaced, finding it a little bit too… saccharine.

Hokuto was sitting next to him, the both of them left alone on the table as the rest of their circle had gone and joined the married couple on the dance floor, trying their best to slow dance. Hokuto had pulled on his tie after a few hours of the reception, feeling a bit suffocated and a little too cramped. Needless to say Taiga had observed the way his hands pulled it, seeming to be interested in the gesture.

But he tore his gaze away. It had meant nothing, of course. It wasn’t like he was attracted.

A comfortable silence was shared between them, Taiga fixing his bangs and making sure his ponytail was still in place, Hokuto sitting close next to him, his arm on the back of Taiga’s chair. After a few moments, Hokuto cleared his throat, catching Taiga’s attention.

“You wanna dance?” Hokuto said, surprising Taiga. “I mean, we’re the only ones not dancing. Might as well. For Shoppi?”

Taiga felt like his heart had climbed its way to his throat, then back down to his chest, beating so damn fast, like a thousand bass drums. He smiled softly, Hokuto looking at him like he had always done, after all these years.

“Are you sure not for Meguro?” he joked, tilting his head to the side. Hokuto let out a chuckle, the sound hypnotizing.

“I mean, if you want to, then,” Hokuto joked back, offering a hand to Taiga. The older took on the offer and all had felt right in the world. Like everything clicked into place.

Hokuto didn’t know what had gotten into him, asking Taiga to dance with him. Maybe it was the nerves that were currently going every which way in his system, blood dancing and making him feel dizzy. Maybe it had been the fact that he wanted an excuse to hold Taiga’s hand again. Because Taiga’s touch was always so electric and invigorating, and it always caught Hokuto’s heart.

Or maybe it was because Taiga had looked absolutely beautiful that evening, with his tailored suit and bright blond hair tied up in an immaculate looking ponytail, a little bit of eye makeup making his eyes even more mesmerizing, pink blush staining his cheeks and making him glow. Taiga looked otherworldly.

And Taiga took his hand, took his offer up for a dance. Hokuto couldn’t be any more relieved.

The first song that had played was coming to a close, so when Hokuto and Taiga finally landed on the dance floor, it had switched to another. It was still a slow one, though, seeming to have a deeper meaning than the earlier one. This one had much more emotional lyrics, and the way the guitar complimented the singer’s voice made Hokuto’s heart beat faster.

He had held Taiga’s hand in his, at first, the both of them dancing with a considerable amount of distance between them. But Taiga stepped forward, the same time Hokuto did, and they laughed at how awkward they were being.

“Stop being awkward, Matsumura,” Taiga teased, although he was doing the same himself.

“I could say the same to you,” Hokuto replied, gripping Taiga’s hand tighter. He kept his other hand steady high on Taiga’s back, trying not to make things even more uncomfortable.

When the song hit the chorus, Taiga thought better. To hell with the awkwardness. Maybe he had missed being close to Hokuto. So he pulled on the younger and stepped even closer, placing his arms around Hokuto’s neck, looking up at him as they danced slowly. He fluttered his eyelids and softened his gaze, looking directly at Hokuto, hopefully telling him that it was fine. That it was okay. That they could do this.

So Hokuto relaxed a little, snaking his arms around Taiga’s waist and pulling him even closer, their bodies moving to the slow beat of the song. He felt like his heart was going to jump out of his chest, and wanted it to calm down. But Taiga was here, in his arms, looking up at him with the most beautiful eyes and Hokuto was so damn caught.

He had always been a goner for Kyomoto Taiga. And he guessed that was never going to change.

And with that he realized. It hit him like a ton of bricks, presenting itself with grandeur, making itself known. Making itself stay. They were here. They were them. Like they always had been.

Hokuto had always been stubborn. And that wasn’t going to change any time soon. He could be stubborn about this, too. Maybe it was what they both needed.

“Are you still scared?” Hokuto whispered, taking the risk.

It had been years now. They had been stupid reckless teenagers then. And through his heartbreak, through his patching up and mending his own heart, through all the silent treatment and screaming and yelling and times he had disagreed with Taiga, Hokuto realized. That maybe Taiga was too scared, that time. That maybe it had been the wrong timing for them. That they  _ had  _ been too young, even if they had grown up. That they still weren’t fully there yet.

But they were here now. And now felt right.

“What?” Taiga said, asking him with a curious smile.

A smile that Hokuto wanted to see, always. A smile that Hokuto wanted to cause, forever.

Love.

What was love like?

Hokuto was already twenty five. Did he already know what love felt like?

Did love feel like the way Taiga would argue with him in the morning, but eventually apologize in the afternoon, and make up for it at night? Did love feel like the way Taiga would blush when he stared at him a little too long, shy from the way Hokuto said he was beautiful? Did love feel like the way Taiga would tell him that he inspired him to do better, and make him stronger than he already was? Did love feel like the way Taiga would fight with him, but would fight for him as well?

Did love feel like the way Taiga was the most beautiful thing Hokuto had ever laid eyes on, and how that was never going to change?

Hokuto knew it, now.

_ This  _ was how love felt like. And how it had always been what he felt for Taiga.

“Are you still scared?” Hokuto repeated, wondering if Taiga was going to remember.

“Scared of what?” Taiga furrowed his eyebrows together, utterly confused.

Maybe Taiga couldn’t remember, but Hokuto could. He couldn’t count the number of times that chilly night had haunted him, reminding him of probably the biggest and worst heartbreak of his life. But he wasn’t bitter. He realized now that it was something he had to go through. Something they  _ both  _ had to go through. Something necessary.

Taiga had been vicious, then. Maybe he would be a little forgiving this time around.

So Hokuto let the matter drop, focusing on a different memory. A happier one.

He unwrapped one of his arms from Taiga’s waist and reached for something in his pocket, taking it out. There was a rustling sound that had Taiga curious, following Hokuto’s hand movements.

When Hokuto opened his hand, there was candy sitting on top of his palm, still wrapped up in its packaging. Taiga blinked, wondering what Hokuto was going for.

“Candy?” he asked, confused.

Hokuto opened the plastic, taking out the ring pop from inside, the candy with its signature pink and black color. “Like kindergarten, remember?” he said softly, heart beating wildly in his chest.

“I…” truthfully, Taiga’s memory was hazy. He was picking up on bits and pieces of the specific moment, but it was still faint, not quite creating a clear image in his head. “Kindergarten was 20 years ago, Hokuto,” he pointed out with a little shy laugh, ashamed that he couldn’t quite recall what Hokuto was referring to.

Hokuto simply smiled though, and handed the candy to Taiga’s open palm. Then he spoke again.

“I asked your Mom this time, don’t worry,” he teased, remembering how he was so troubled over it when he was but a five year old kid, innocently asking something he hadn’t realized meant so much more.

“Asked my Mom what?” Taiga let out a little amused laugh again, and Hokuto could never get enough of the sound.

Taiga had always been a constant. Since they were five, twelve, eighteen, twenty one. They were twenty five now, having gone through thick and thin together, fights and fall outs and beginnings and rediscoveries. And after everything they had been through, at the end of the day, Taiga would always be a constant. Hokuto knew that. Hokuto would always know that.

He grabbed something from his pocket and took it out again, hiding it from Taiga as much as he could. Then he gulped down all his worries, swallowed through the way his heart was beating, and took a goddamn leap of faith.

This was it. This was them.

“Are you grown up now?” he asked, showing Taiga what he had, “because I want to ask you for real, this time.”

It was only then that Taiga realized what Hokuto meant, the vivid memory finally becoming crystal clear. That day at the playground. The candy ring. The way they held hands. Hokuto asked him. The brave way five year-old Hokuto had declared his feelings to him. The way they promised each other.

The way Taiga promised he would, when he grew up.

They had been too young, then, still two innocent five year-olds playing in the sandbox, shielded from the cruel world. Too young when they were twelve, still discovering a brand new world presented to them by harsh reality. Too young when they were eighteen, heartbreaking words coming from his own mouth as he spat them with disdain to Hokuto, all because he was too terrified of the way the boy made him feel. Too young when they were twenty one, still feeling the effects of reckless teenage mistakes and yet already on that bridgeway to responsibility and adulthood.

They were twenty five, now. They were grown up now.

And here was Hokuto,  _ his  _ Hokuto, the Hokuto he had known since then and will know until when. Here was Hokuto, asking again.

“Marry me, Taiga,”

Taiga’s breath hitched, heart seeming to stop.

“I’m still in love with you,”

Taiga was all grown up now. And Hokuto was too. No more baby fat on Hokuto’s cheeks. No more childlike innocence in his eyes. No more munching on his words when he talked. No more soft little giggle.

Hokuto was different now. He had grown into his features, jaw so sharp it could cut glass, eyes dark and deep and so haunting, voice incredibly and hypnotizingly low, hands and fingers long and lithe and almost like matches striking to light a fire. Hokuto was different. And yet, he was still the same Hokuto. Still the Hokuto that Taiga knew. Still the Hokuto he met all those years ago. Still  _ his  _ Hokuto.

Still the Hokuto he fell in love with.

Taiga was all grown up now. And Taiga wanted to keep his promise.

And he wanted to respond. He really did. He wanted to yell and say the words out loud. But they weren’t enough. They would never be enough. They wouldn’t do justice to what he was feeling.

So Taiga pulled Hokuto in for a kiss, surprising the both of them, but not regretting a single thing.

He smiled and laughed into the kiss, Hokuto pulling him in closer by the waist, smiling back. He could feel his tears falling, but it had been happy ones, mixing together with Hokuto’s on their cheeks, the both of them crying from how their hearts had felt full. From how their hearts had felt one. They hadn’t been noticed by anyone yet, the dim lights making it difficult for anyone to focus on anything in the room from afar, but it honestly didn’t matter. All that mattered to Taiga was that he was kissing Hokuto, and Hokuto was kissing him back, and they were holding each other, and that this felt like the  _ finally  _ he had always been searching and hoping for.

Despite the both of them not wanting to pull away, they also knew they had to, and Taiga felt the need to breathe lest he get trapped in Hokuto’s kiss. Even though he gladly let himself stay. He pulled away slightly, Hokuto chasing his lips immediately, and Taiga let out a little laugh from how eager the younger had been. He stuck their foreheads together, and out of his peripheral vision, he could feel people starting to look their way. Not that he cared though. Everyone could stare, if they wanted to. All that mattered to Taiga was Matsumura Hokuto.

“Eager, aren’t we?” he teased, a little breathless, voice clouded with a soft hint of adoration.

Hokuto smiled shyly, not realizing he had chased Taiga. “God,” he whispered, breathless as well, “you don’t know how long I’ve wanted to do that.”

And Hokuto knew just exactly the right words to say to capture Taiga’s heart, didn’t he? Taiga was an absolute goner.

Taiga closed his eyes again, taking a deep breath, then fluttering his eyes open, only to find Hokuto already looking at him with a soft gaze. The younger had sent a small smile to his direction, and it all but made every single butterfly in Taiga’s stomach burst.

“So I’m guessing that’s a—”

“Yes!” Taiga finally said out loud, pulling Hokuto again with a laugh, for another kiss. Hokuto smiled wide and kissed back, glad that Taiga answered differently this time. Glad that Taiga kept his promise.

There was a chorus of applause that could be heard around them, and when they pulled away again and looked around, they saw that everyone had been clapping in congratulations. Taiga blushed a pretty shade of pink and Hokuto had turned beet red, groaning from embarrassment.

“Oh god, no,” he hid his face on Taiga’s shoulder, pulling the older close in his hold. Taiga was simply laughing again, lifting a hand to lace his fingers through Hokuto’s perfect jet-black hair, soothing him.

“Why did I do this here?” Hokuto said, words muffled by Taiga’s suit.

Taiga giggled again. “Yea, why did you?” he asked. “I never would have guessed you were the public proposal type.”

“I thought nobody was watching us,”

“Well, too late for that now,” Taiga said, as everyone kept clapping still. Eventually, he pulled Hokuto to the side, before the boy died from his blushes.

They weren’t being watched anymore, the attention turning back to the newlyweds, and Hokuto couldn’t be any more thankful.

Taiga was staring at him, then, still not fully believing what had just happened.

“I hope it’s not too late for us?” Taiga said, doubting a little. He knew he had hurt Hokuto before. Had hurt Hokuto many times, actually. But he was ready, now. He was sure of it.

Hokuto shook his head, finally taking the ring out of the small velvet box and sliding it home onto Taiga’s ring finger, the silver band shining even under the dim light.

“Never too late,” Hokuto said, looking up again and smiling, holding Taiga’s hand tight in his. “I still would’ve asked again next time, had you said no now.”

“I don’t deserve you,” Taiga said, feeling insecure. Hokuto deserved the whole world at his feet.

“You deserve better than me,” Hokuto countered, feeling the same amount of insecurity.

And yet, they both wouldn’t have had it any other way.

Hokuto cradled Taiga’s jaw, Taiga instantly leaning into his touch, minimizing the space between them. He wrapped his hand around Hokuto’s wrist, tracing circles onto the younger’s skin.

And he wanted to tell the truth. He wanted to tell the whole truth.

“I love you,”

Because it was true. Taiga was in love with Hokuto. He always had been. And he wasn’t afraid to say it anymore.

And that was all that Hokuto needed.

“I love you,” he pulled Taiga in for another kiss, both of their hearts calm, both of their hearts safe.

Love.

What was love like?

Maybe it was this. Maybe it was this kiss. Maybe it was the ring around Taiga’s finger. Maybe it was the way Hokuto asked him to be his forever. Maybe it was how they knew, now, that they would always be each other’s constant. Maybe it was how they had always been each other's favorite person, and how they always would be.

That was what love was like.

Maybe it was Matsumura Hokuto and Kyomoto Taiga. Maybe it was them.

And maybe it wasn’t a ‘maybe’, anymore. It was a ‘definitely’.

It was a  _ finally. _

**Author's Note:**

> WOW I CANT BELIEVE I WROTE FLUFF FOR KYOMOHOKU ??????? WHO AM I ???????????  
> Anyways!! Thoughts?


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